North Korea Leader Returns to Public After Stroke

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - A visibly grayer and thinner Kim JongIl proved he remains in charge of communist North Korea, presidingover parliament in a triumphant return to center stage after monthsout of the public eye following a reported stroke.

Limping slightly, Kim arrived Thursday at the grand hall housingthe 687-seat Supreme People's Assembly to a standing ovation andpraise for a weekend rocket launch heralded as "historic" at homethough assailed in some nations as provocative.

A master at building drama, Kim fed the world's curiosity formonths about his health after reports said he had a stroke andunderwent brain surgery in August - though North Korea has deniedthat he was ever ill.

Kim solemnly acknowledged his reappointment as chairman of thepowerful National Defense Commission, which under North Korea'sconstitution makes him the nation's top leader while his father,late North Korea founder Kim Il Sung, remains "eternalpresident."

"Having comrade Kim Jong Il at the highest post of our countryagain is a great honor and happiness for our military and peopleand a great happy event for all Korean people," a newscaster saidon state TV.

State media made no mention of Kim from August until October,and no video images of him were released until this week.

Thursday's appearance was his first at a major public event,with taped video footage broadcast the same day, finally putting torest any question about whether he has recuperated from thereported stroke that sparked fears of a succession crisis in thenuclear-armed nation.

Kim looked healthy, if older, on Thursday, but the weight lossappeared to have been sudden, leaving the skin on his once-pudgyface hanging loosely.

Despite the limp, it was clear "Kim Jong Il has no problemruling the country," said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at Seoul'sUniversity of North Korean Studies.

Outside observers were watching closely for signs he may belaying the groundwork for a successor following the health scare.

Kim has ruled the impoverished nation of 24 million withabsolute authority since his father's death in 1994, allowing nodissent or opposition. Both Kims thrived on an intense cult ofpersonality, with their portraits hanging in nearly every room.

However, none of Kim's three sons was elected to parliament inMarch, and they are not believed ready to assume the leadershipmantle.

In a significant appointment Thursday, Kim's brother-in-law,Jang Song Thaek, a senior Workers' Party member, was named to thepowerful defense commission.

Kim appears to be boosting Jang's authority, perhaps to pave theway for him to assume more power, said Cheong Seong-chang, a NorthKorea expert at South Korea's Sejong Institute.

Jang, who is married to Kim's sister, is believed to back Kim'syoungest son, 26-year-old Jong Un, as his father's successor.

In another possible succession-related move, the parliamentapproved a motion to amend the constitution. No details wereavailable, but in the 1990s, a similar amendment paved the way forKim to assume leadership from his father.

Pyongyang claims it successfully put a communications satelliteinto orbit Sunday and it is transmitting data and playing patrioticodes to Kim and his father, the country's founder.

U.S. and South Korean military officials say nothing made itinto orbit and accuse Pyongyang of using the launch to test itslong-range missile technology.

Japan renewed sanctions imposed on North Korea since its 2006missile test for another year Friday to punish the communistcountry. It also strengthened economic sanctions, banning allexports and lowering the cap on remittances that must be reportedto Tokyo, a Foreign Ministry official said on condition ofanonymity, citing department policy.

Washington, calling the launch a bold violation of U.N. SecurityCouncil resolutions barring North Korea from ballisticmissile-related activity, is leading the push for councilcondemnation.

However, council debate remains stalled, with North Korea'sclosest ally, China, and Russia maintaining calls for restraint.

"We're still engaged in consultations to try to come up with astrong and effective response," State Department spokesman RobertWood told reporters on Thursday. But he said it won't be easy as"there are some differences of opinion on ... how we deal withthis question."

Japan and the U.S. would prefer a full-blown Security Councilresolution, but Washington worries it could take too long.

China and Russia have all but ruled out allowing the council topass anything more than a press statement that carries no legalweight.

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